Wranglers extend streak, grab 2-0 lead

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The Wranglers just keep on winning.

Nick Anderson scored with 5:45 remaining in the third period Thursday to give Las Vegas a 3-2 road victory over the Phoenix RoadRunners before a crowd of 2,677 at U.S. Airways Center in Game 2 of their ECHL first-round playoff series.

The victory was a league-record 15th straight for the Wranglers, who took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 series.

Forwards Adam Cracknell and Arpad Mihaly also scored for Las Vegas, which will return home for tonight’s 7:05 game against the RoadRunners at the Orleans Arena.

“(The winning streak is) good for the guys because it goes in the record books, Wranglers coach Glen Gulutzan said. “But it won’t be etched in their brains for a while. They have a big game tomorrow night and plenty of business to take care of.”

Phoenix played Las Vegas even in the first two periods, getting goals from defensemen Jeff MacMillan and Alexandre Rouleau.

Rouleau scored on a power-play goal in the first to give the RoadRunners a 1-0 lead, but Cracknell scored with five seconds left in the period to draw the Wranglers even.

Mihaly gave Las Vegas a 2-1 lead at 18:20 of the second, but MacMillan tied the game with 40 seconds left in the period.

“Phoenix played well, and the outcome could have gone either way,” Gulutzan said. “They were physical, and they created a lot of chances. It certainly sets up an interesting game tomorrow, that’s for sure.”

Wranglers goalie Mike McKenna stopped 36 of 38 shots for his 11th consecutive victory.